Shipping ports

The 1992 protocol replaced the CLC Convention widened the scope of the Convention to cover pollution damage caused in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or equivalent area of a State Party. The Protocol covers pollution damage as before but environmental damage compensation is limited to costs incurred for reasonable measures to reinstate the contaminated environment. It also allows expenses incurred for preventive measures to be recovered even when no spill of oil occurs, provided there was grave and imminent threat of pollution damage.
The Protocol also extended the Convention to cover spills from sea-going vessels constructed or adapted to carry oil in bulk as cargo so that it applies apply to both laden and unladen tankers, including spills of bunker oil from such ships.
Under the 1992 Protocol, a shipowner cannot limit liability if it is proved that the pollution damage resulted from the shipowner's personal act or omission, committed with the intent to cause such damage, or recklessly and with knowledge that such damage would probably result. The 2000 amendments raised the compensation limits by 50 percent compared to the limits set in the 1992 Protocol

Establishes and oversees satellite communications for shipping. Establishement of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)

Aims to determine certain uniform rules relating to the limitation of liability for maritime claims. Chapter I defines persons entitled to limit liability, claims subject to limitation and claims excepted from it, conduct barring limitation, and counter claims. Chapter II sets the general financial limits of liability, provides a special limit for passenger claims, and deals with aggregation of claims. Chapter III concerns the limitation fund which may be constituted by any person liable under the Convention. Chapter IV defines the scope of application of the Convention, providing an option for Parties to exclude wholly or partially persons liable under the Convention from its application if certain conditions are met.

The Protocol of 1976 provided for the applicable unit of account used under the convention to be based on the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) as used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

First international convention on the safety of fishing vessels, recognising the great differences in design and operation between these vessels and other types of ships. While other vessels load cargo in port, fishing vessels sail empty and load their cargo at sea. The Convention included safety requirements for the construction and equipment of new, decked, seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over, including those vessels also processing their catch.

Intends to improve further the safety of ships, particularly tankers.

Establishes uniform standards of competence for seafarers.

Aims at developing an international SAR plan to ensure the rescue of persons in distress at sea no matter where an accident occurs. The operation is co-ordinated by a SAR organization. Establishes preparatory measures which should be taken, including the establishment of rescue co-ordination centres and subcentres. It outlines operating procedures to be followed in the event of emergencies or alerts and during SAR operations. Parties to the Convention are required to establish ship reporting systems, under which ships report their position to a coast radio station.

Provides guidances regarding the standards to be applied in the stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes excluding grain. New versions of the Code were released since its first publication.

Covers prevention of pollution by oil from operational measures as well as from accidental discharges; the 1992 amendments to Annex I made it mandatory for new oil tankers to have double hulls and brought in a phase-in schedule for existing tankers to fit double hulls, which was subsequently revised in 2001 and 2003.

Contains details the discharge criteria and measures for the control of pollution by noxious liquid substances carried in bulk; some 250 substances were evaluated and included in the list appended to the Convention; the discharge of their residues is allowed only to reception facilities until certain concentrations and conditions (which vary with the category of substances) are complied with. In any case, no discharge of residues containing noxious substances is permitted within 12 miles of the nearest land.  

It is an international safety regulation for the construction and equipment of ships transporting gases in bulk. It is part of the SOLAS Convention

Deals with different types of garbage and specifies the distances from land and the manner in which they may be disposed of; the most important feature of the Annex is the complete ban imposed on the disposal into the sea of all forms of plastics including fishing gears.

The Protocol was primarily adopted in order to harmonize the Convention's survey and certification requirement with those contained in SOLAS and MARPOL 73/78. The 1988 Load Lines Protocol revised certain regulations in the technical Annexes to the Load Lines Convention and introduced the tacit amendment procedure (which was already applicable to the 1974 SOLAS Convention). Amendments to the Convention may be considered either by the Maritime Safety Committee or by a Conference of Parties.

Introduces in the SOLAS Convention provisions for survey and certificates harmonised with corresponding other international instruments. Summary of provisions: This Protocol was adopted in the framework of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), and replaces and abrogates the Protocol of 1978 relating to the Convention (Art. I). Parties undertake to give effect to the Protocol and its Annex, which modifies and adds provisions to the Annex of the Convention concerning, inter alia, definition of terms, inspection, surveys and control of ships, and issuance, endorsement and duration of certificates. Parties agree to communicate to the Secretary-General of the IMO, inter alia the measures they have adopted on the various matters within the scope of the Protocol (Art. III).

Aims to to provide for a comprehensive suppression of unlawful acts committed against the safety of maritime navigation which endanger innocent human lives, jeopardize the safety of persons and property, seriously affect the operation of maritime services and thus are of grave concern to the international community as a whole

The Convention replaced a convention on the law of salvage adopted in Brussels in 1910 which incorporated the "'no cure, no pay" principle under which a salvor is only rewarded for services if the operation is successful. The 1989 Convention seeks to remedy this deficiency by making provision for an enhanced salvage award taking into account the skill and efforts of the salvors in preventing or minimizing damage to the environment.

Establishes a framework for international co-operation in the event of a major oil pollution. Parties to the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) are required to establish measures for dealing with pollution incidents, either nationally or in co-operation with other countries.
Ships are required to carry a shipboard oil pollution emergency plan. Operators of offshore units under the jurisdiction of Parties are also required to have oil pollution emergency plans or similar arrangements which must be co-ordinated with national systems for responding promptly and effectively to oil pollution incidents.
Ships are required to report incidents of pollution to coastal authorities and the convention details the actions that are then to be taken. The Convention calls for the establishment of stockpiles of oil spill combating equipment, the holding of oil spill combating exercises and the development of detailed plans for dealing with pollution incidents.
Parties to the convention are required to provide assistance to others in the event of a pollution emergency and provision is made for the reimbursement of any assistance provided.

International Code for the safe carriage of grain in bulk

Contains general requirements for the issuing of detailed standards on packing, marking, labelling, documentation, stowage, quantity limitations, exceptions and notifications. For the purpose of this Annex, “harmful substances” are those substances which are identified as marine pollutants in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) or which meet the criteria in the Appendix of Annex III.

The 1992 Protocol established a separate, 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund, known as the 1992 Fund, which is managed in London by a Secretariat. It also replaced the CLC Convention

The key regulatory instrument for securing cargo is the Code of Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code. It contains 7 chapters with all relevant information about securing cargo. It differentiates between standardized stowing and securing systems (e.g. containers) and semi- or non-standardized stowage and securing (e.g. motor vehicles on ro-ro ships). In 14 annexes, the CSS Code provides specific requirements for different kinds of cargo, e.g. project cargo, logs, rolling cargoes. Of special importance are annex 13 (non-standardized cargo) and annex 14 (containers).

The Torremolinos Protocol was adopted to update, amend and absorb the parent Convention. In the 2000s, IMO began reviewing the options available to tackle the lack of sufficient ratifications to bring this treaty into force. In 2012, a new agreement was adopted.

Provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.

Presents mandatory and recommendatory stability criteria and other measures for ensuring the safe operation of ships, to minimize the risk to such ships, to the personnel on board and to the environment.

Contains requirements for the design and construction of high-speed craft engaged on international voyages (design and construction). Aims to ensure a level of safety on vessels on board of which the SOLAS and Load Lines Convention don't apply.

Establishes basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel on an international level. The Convention prescribes minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel, which countries are obliged to meet or exceed.

Concerns specific stability requirements for ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) passenger ship undertaking regular scheduled international voyages between or to or from designated ports in North West Europe and the Baltic Sea

Ains to provide enhanced compensation and to establish a simplified procedure for updating the limitation amounts

Life-saving appliances are mandatory on board according to Chapter 3 of the SOLAS Convention. The LSA Code gives standards and requirements for the manufacture and maintenance of life-saving appliances. The Code has been several updated since its first edition#.

Once the 2010 HNS Protocol enters into forcem the 1996 Convention as amended by this Protocol will be called HNS Convention 2010. The 2010 Protocol provides sanctions for states not complying with the obligation to report imports of relevant cargoes. Non-reporting states will be suspended from the benefits of the HNS (Hazardous and Noxious Substances) fund until their reports are up to date. The 2010 Protocol also requires new signatory states to submit a cargo report together with their deposition, to ensure that new states have a system established for complying with the reporting requirement.

Aims to prevent accidents or loss of ships carrying solid bulk cargoes as a result of improper loading and unloading practices.

Regularly updated. Aims to implement and harmonise fire test procedures on board.

Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged irradiated nuclear fuel, plutonium and high-level radioactive waste

Establishes a framework for international co-operation in the event of incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances.

Prohibites the use of harmful organotins in anti-fouling paints used on ships. Establishes a mechanism to prevent the potential future use of other harmful substances in anti-fouling systems. Applicable to certain types of vessels.

Aims to ensure that adequate, prompt, and effective compensation is available to persons who suffer damage caused by spills of oil, when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers.

Identification of the Wadden as a PSSA

Contains requirements to control pollution of the sea by sewage; the discharge of sewage into the sea is prohibited, except when the ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant or when the ship is discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using an approved system at a distance of more than 3nm from the nearest land; sewage which is not comminuted or disinfected has to be discharged at a distance of more than 12nm from the nearest land.

Established an International Oil Pollution Compensation Supplementary Fund